Charges say drugs played important role in school bomb threats

Charges say drugs played important role in school bomb threats

Multiple drugs including oxycontin and LSD played an important role in two bomb threats anonymously called into Fayette County schools this year, according to court records.

A Highland County man was arrested June 7 after a student at Washington Court House City Schools released information to authorities surrounding the alleged bomb threats.

The student reported the man, identified as Brian D. Tedrick of New Vienna, called in a bomb threat to Washington Court House High School April 20 while he was sitting in his vehicle in the school’s parking lot. The minor student allegedly told police that Tedrick had called in the bomb threat to cancel classes so that the two could “spend the day together getting high.”

Tedrick walked over from the Fayette County Jail Monday to the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas to appear in court on a 46-count indictment. In shackles and wearing a striped orange and white jail suit, Tedrick smiled throughout court during his arraignment hearing.

Allegedly he made two calls Jan. 13 and April 20 threatening to blow up schools with pipe bombs and is now arraigned on two counts of inducing panic, each a felony of the second degree.

The bomb threats were called into the Washington Court House Police Department. The caller did not specify which school in the area was allegedly the target of the threats. All schools within Fayette County were evacuated and searched. The schools were cleared with no pipe bombs found.

During his arraignment Monday, Tedrick was asked by Fayette County Common Pleas Court Judge Steven Beathard if he had read the 46-count indictment. Tedrick said that he had read the indictment and again smiled.

The student who reported Tedrick called in the bomb threats had allegedly been engaged in sexual activity and drug use with the 46-year-old old New Vienna man for more than a year’s time.

There are two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor charged against Tedrick, each a third degree felony. The Fayette County grand jurors who issued the indictment against Tedrick specified that the felony is elevated because Tedrick is 10 or more years older than the minor student, who was allegedly 15-years-old when he first began having sexual encounters with Tedrick.

Eleven second-degree felony counts of corrupting another with drugs are charged against Tedrick in the indictment. These charges allege that Tedrick furnished drugs to the minor in Fayette, Highland, and Clermont counties across more than a year’s time, between Feb. 1, 2016 and May of 2017.

The indictment states Tedrick furnished the minor student with the drugs Oxycontin, LSD, marijuana, methamphetamine, Oxycodone, Xanax, MDMA, and Klonopin.

Specifically the indictment states Tedrick provided the minor student with Oxycontin between the dates of May 1 and May 31, 2016 while in Highland County; LSD between July 1 and July 31, 2016 in Highland County; LSD again between the dates of Aug. 1 and Aug. 31, 2016 in Fayette County; methamphetamine between Feb. 1 and Feb. 28, 2017 in Clermont County; OxyCodone and Klonopin between March 1 and March 31, 2017 in Fayette County; Xanax between the dates March 1, 2017 and March 31, 2017 in Fayette County; and MDMA between the dates of April 1 and April 30, 2017 in Fayette County.

The indictment does not list the amount of drugs in weight or volume allegedly provided to the minor student.

In addition to those second-degree charges, there are 16 fourth-degree felony charges of corrupting another with drugs. These 16 charges allege Tedrick provided marijuana to the minor student each month between February of 2016 and May of 2017. The indictment does not list how much marijuana was provided to the student over that time.

Then there are 16 counts of compelling prostitution listed next in the indictment, each a felony of the third degree. These 16 charges allege Tedrick paid or agreed to pay the minor student to engage in sexual activity. The alleged prostitution took place at least once a month between Feb. 1, 2016 and May 9, 2017, according to the indictment, in both Highland and Fayette counties.

According to the Washington Court House Police Department, Tedrick allegedly gave the minor student drugs in exchange for sexual acts.

Based upon Tedrick’s affidavit to the court, Beathard appointed Ohio public defense attorney Thomas A.C. Arrington to represent Tedrick in the case. Arrington is from London in Madison County.

During the hearing Monday, Arrington approached the bench and was handed a copy of Tedrick’s indictment. He spoke privately to Tedrick for a few minutes before approaching the bench again with Fayette County Assistant Prosecutor John Scott to speak off the record with Beathard.

Not guilty pleas were entered on all charges of the indictment and Tedrick’s court dates were set. Tedrick is scheduled for an informal pretrial hearing June 26 at 9:30 a.m. and a final pretrial hearing July 17 at 9 a.m. in the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas.

Finally, the court reviewed Tedrick’s bond during arraignment. Tedrick is currently incarcerated in the Fayette County Jail on a $250,000 cash-surety bond.

Arrington asked for Tedrick’s bond to be reduced. The state’s position was that bond was appropriately set.